NY billionaire donates $2M to local public broadcasting

NY billionaire donates $2M to local public broadcasting

Jul. 21, 2016

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) — Billionaire businessman Thomas Golisano has donated $2 million to a public broadcasting operation in his upstate New York hometown.

WXXI President and CEO Norm Silverstein announced Wednesday that Golisano's gift will help assure public broadcasting will serve the Rochester area "for many years to come."

The donation was made during WXXI's "Go Public" fundraising campaign, which raised more than $18 million over five years. Golisano's donation will be used for new lighting and control systems, production equipment and other upgrades.

WXXI operates AM and FM radio stations, a television station and Rochester's Little Theater.

Golisano is founder and chairman of Paychex Inc. The Rochester-based company is a payroll processor and human resources services provider.

He donated $2 million to WXXI in 2004 so it could transition to digital broadcasting.